‘I give him 10’: Hammer reveals wingman’s secret sauce
Joel Gould |
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is not easy to impress when it comes to scoring tries, but even he was blown away by what his left winger Selwyn Cobbo did for Queensland at the MCG.
“I give him 10 out of 10,” Tabuai-Fidow told AAP, sounding like a gymnastics judge handing out the perfect score for an elite display of acrobatics and power.
“It was something special. The way he carried. The way he got us on the front foot, scored three tries … and the way he put the ball down. It was just mad.”
Cobbo was acrobatic, powerful, dangerous, fast, skilful and unstoppable. There was his hat-trick of tries, his deft kick for centre partner Tabuai-Fidow to score, the way he skittled the Blues defence like ten-pins, and his powerhouse try-saving tackle on Mark Nawaqanitawase. Cobbo just kept coming.
The old scribes who used to do the player ratings for Rugby League Week magazine would no doubt agree with Tabuai-Fidow’s 10 out of 10 assessment. Perfect 10s were rare as hen’s teeth in the magazine’s 47-year history, but Cobbo’s display was a rare gem.
Cobbo, 24, has found his groove at the Dolphins, his form over the past two months the best and most consistent of his career, including the seasons at Brisbane from 2022-24 when he also played for the Maroons.
The talent was always there, but the Cherbourg-raised Cobbo plays at his best when he is happy off the field and comfortable in his environment.
The smile on his face at Dolphins training as he shares banter with teammates has been there all season, and it just took him a while to figure out the new systems at a club that has embraced him.
Tabuai-Fidow, the Dolphins’ fullback known as “Hammer”, has seen it all first-hand.
“He’s a freaky fella, but the way he is playing is all down to how happy he is. It is something special to see,” he said.
“Selwyn is enjoying his footy and playing with a smile on his face. When he first came to the club all the boys welcomed him in and made him feel at home. He just loves the Dolphins.”
Cobbo put through a little dink of a kick in Melbourne for Tabuai-Fidow to score his 13th try in 12 Origin matches, for which he was extremely grateful.
“He can do everything that fella,” Tabuai-Fidow grinned.
“I just had to put him in space, he puts the kick in and I just had to put it down.”
Tabuai-Fidow said the pair could be even better in the decider at Suncorp Stadium, where he predicted more Cobbo carnage.
“The way he runs out of back-field, no one can tackle him,” Tabuai-Fidow said.
“I think the more we work together and the more trust we put in each other … it is going to be something even more special.
“We are both playing off instincts. The boys around us, especially Munny (Cameron Munster), give us the ball and we just have to do our work and show what we can do.”
AAP